


letters

by centrykleary



Series: cadnis :) [2]
Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey, The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25029433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/centrykleary/pseuds/centrykleary
Summary: Emma and Cady are cousins that communicate through letters during Cady's time in Kenya. They keep in contact through elementary, middle, and high school.Inspired by Erika Henningsen's tweet, "In some Broadway crossover universe, Emma in ThePromMusical and Cady in MeanGirlsBway are cousins who have never met but used to write penpal letters while Cady lived in Africa and Emma would tell her about all the things that high schoolers in America were into. #fanfiction"
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan, Cady Heron/Janis Sarkisian
Series: cadnis :) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812523
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21





	letters

**Author's Note:**

> I thought I would just make this series its own separate work, hope you enjoy <3

Stepping into her family’s tent, Cady Heron is presented with a small pink envelope by her parents. Her tiny hands reach out for the slip of paper while the corners of her mouth perk up into a smile. She rushes over to the corner of her tent, sitting down on the air mattress. The envelope is impatiently teared open and Cady begins reading the letter.

_Dear Cady,  
_

_Hiiiiii! School started for me and I am so sad. I am gonna miss swimming at the pool all day. My parents said I can not go swimming and my homework needs to be done. I am in fourth grade and I think you are too! Home school sounds fun, I wish I can do that but I have to go to real school. There was a gross bug at recess and I catched it! You like animals so I named it after you. I brought it to my teacher but she said to let go of it. I think bug Cady is happy with its family. That’s all I can write right now. Byeeeeeeee!_

_From,_

_Emma_

Grabbing her mother’s clipboard and a small slip of paper, Cady begins writing her cousin back. With her cousin Emma living in Indiana, the letter must’ve been delivered two weeks ago due to international mail shipping. After pondering for a couple of minutes about what to write, Cady grabs a pencil and starts her letter.

_Dear Emma,_

_We are getting old!! My mom said that I am around your grade level. Are you learning times tables too? I’m up to my 10s already! And what bug did you catch? Good thing it wasn't deadly! There are a lot of bugs here, but my dad says not to play with them or I can get hurt. Also, I wish I had a pool! My mom says it is a cold month, but it is really really really hot. What radio stuff do you listen to? My mom got a new radio and it is so cool! Weird noises come from it sometimes. I think the noises are riveting though! That is a new word I learned, my dad is giving new words to me each day! Write back please._

_Sincerely,_

_Cady :)_

The third-grader approaches her parents who are listening to a radio station. Cady pokes her mother on the back, handing the piece of paper to her. Her mother delicately folds the paper into a small enough size to squeeze into an envelope. After slipping the paper inside, the envelope was handed to their daughter who excitedly licks the envelope shut - this was Cady’s most favorite part about writing a letter. Once she finishes, the envelope is sealed shut and is placed onto a table, Cady’s father promising to deliver the letter first thing in the morning. Her parents ask their daughter if she would like to listen to the new radio they had purchased. Instead of listening, she politely declines their offer and walks back over to the air mattress. Once wrapped in a thin blanket, Cady looks through the mesh window of the tent, admiring the dark sky illuminated with little specks of light. Somewhere past those stars, there was her cousin Emma in Indiana who Cady couldn’t wait to hear back from.

* * *

Sitting at the dinner table, Emma listens to her parents daily list of grievances. Despite being a nine-year-old, she understood when her parents were fairly upset by a situation. The tone of their voices, their body language, she was quite observant of her parents’s little mannerisms. She listens to her parents complain about two people kissing in the supermarket, even their utensils seem mad by the way Emma’s parents were aggressively eating food. Their conversation was interrupted by a doorbell and before her parents stood up to answer, Emma nearly fell out of her chair to rush towards the door. The mailman had left a couple of letters and packages in their mailbox, she tippy-toes to reach the pile of papers and plastic bags. She waddles back to the dining room, effortlessly holding the large amount of mail within her arms. Emma dumps the deliveries onto the table and spots a familiar yellow envelope. Her eyes begin to shine when she recognizes the handwriting. As her parents go through the bill statements and tabloids, Emma carefully opens the envelope from her cousin Cady. After reading through the letter, she excuses herself from the dinner table and returns with writing materials. She doesn’t waste a second to write back. 

_Dear Cady,_

_I do not have a radio, but I have a tv! Do you have one? There are a lot of movies about middle and high school, there like showing what it will be like. If you come to USA, you can swim in my pool and come over a lot. I don’t think bugs here are deadly, only some! I don’t remember what bug it was because it was a couple weeks ago. Imagine if these letters were teleported, that would be easy. And I hate math. Fractions suck and my teacher shows shapes being cut in pieces. Also, what are you gonna be for halloween? I wanna be a pirate but my parents said it is not for girls. One day I will be the best pirate! And wow, your vocabulary is gonna be so good when you’re older!_

Emma takes a peak at Cady’s letter. _Sincerely, Emma_

Once finished, the letter is taken by her parents. Every time Emma writes a letter to Cady, they read through their daughter’s letter to ensure that nothing inappropriate is being shared. Although they may have been upset by the Halloween costume comment, the parents permit the letter to be delivered. After their dinner is finished, Emma’s parents quickly rush outside where the mailman’s truck is located, handing the letter over. Their daughter excitedly claps and runs over to the living room, turning on the television. Fortunately, her favorite movie is being aired, High School Musical; she desperately wanted a love story like Troy and Gabriella. 

Approximately 8,000 miles across the Atlantic ocean, Cady is learning about word problems while traveling in a safari jeep. Her mother is sitting in the backseat with her daughter passing a clipboard full of practice problems. These problems mainly centered around math and including units within the answer. After teaching Cady about units of measurements for time, weight, volume, and other various measurements, she was surprised to see Cady quickly grasp the concept. After being handed a pencil, numbers appear underneath the problem quickly. Her mother was amazed, it was like seeing her daughter write in another language so effortlessly. When finished, Cady was gleeful to learn that all of her answers were correct. Something about math thrilled the young girl.

Sweating through her visor, Cady looks around at the beautiful scenery of the Kenya landscape. From miles away she could distinguish the shapes of animals that galloped across the tall grass. She would crane her neck all the way up to admire the giraffes eating plants, giggle at the zebra doing their business, and would feel calm as the gentle breeze blew over her face. Although the sun tended to roast the Heron family, they wouldn’t trade the astounding place they called home for the world. Cady’s father parks the safari jeep near their tent called home and they find a young man standing near their place of residence. While her parents wave politely, Cady’s mouth drops at the remarkably attractive man. She nearly trips while exiting the jeep, only to be caught by the young man. The last time Cady had felt rumbling in her stomach was when Nfume frequently hung out around the Heron’s area. The conversation between her parents and the young man drained out, the girl could only focus on the stunning blue eyes that had a piercing gaze. Before she knew it, the young man was kneeling down in front of Cady, a familiar envelope bringing her back from a trance. The minute he leaves, Cady rushes into the tent.

_Dear Emma,_

_What is halloween? I know Christmas and Thanksgiving but not that. I hope you can be a pirate! We do not have tv here, the person who lives close has one though. She said me I can watch any time. What do I watch? And how can you hate math, it is so cool! I just learned about units of measurements. Also, I think I am in loveeeeeeee. Someone brought me your letter and he was so cute ! His eyes looked like the oasis water. He might be the one!! And I hope I can go to the USA one day, it seems fun there. My mom is teaching me English next, I hope I learn new words. I learned the word contradicting!_

_Sincerely,_

_Cady :)_

She nervously walked up to her parents, handing the letter to them. To Cady’s relief, the letter wasn’t read and her crush wasn't revealed, it was simply sealed within an envelope. Cady joined her family around their small dining table, excitedly eating her favorite dish that her mother would prepare - rice and salmon. The plate was cleared almost instantly and remained seated at the table, talking with her parents about their small journey today. The Heron family had visited a nearby town, purchasing food and other necessities. While walking through the crowded plaza, Cady’s eyes were caught on a beautiful woven bracelet. A vendor emerged from the jewelry stand and noticed the young girl staring longingly at the piece of jewelry. When her parents noticed, they attempted to purchase the bracelet, but was a bit too expensive. Although she was saddened, Cady left the bracelet alone and continued walking with her father while her mother purchased yarn, planning a little surprise for her daughter. Little journeys with her family made Cady extremely happy. As a little kid, the simplest of gestures would provoke a smile on her face. When their daughter fell asleep, Mrs. Heron began weaving a bracelet similar to the one her daughter had desperately wanted.

_Dear Cady,_

_When this letter comes I think it will be after your birthday! My mom told me that these letters take two weeks to come since you live so far. You are 10 now, same age as me! What did you do for your birthday? I hope you got gifts and cake! It isn’t a party without cake. Did your crush get you something? If you want him to like you back, flowers are a good thing! On the shows I watch boys always bring the girls flowers. And how can you not know about halloween!!!! You dress up in a really scary costume and go trick-or-treating! You get candy, so much of it! Next year you can do it. Good thing thanksgiving is this week. By the time you get this though it will be near christmas. So happy holidays! And you should watch High School Musical, it will tell you everything about what the big kids do! Hopefully it’ll be... captivating:))_

_From,_

_Emma_

Presented before Cady is the television of her neighbor, she was invited over for her birthday. On the day of her actual birthday, the neighbor was out of town, but now she’s back and happily watching over a young bright girl excited to watch television for the first time. Cady’s parents were sitting outside, preparing a lesson plan for their daughter’s English lesson. Their neighbor sat next to Cady, browsing through the channels to see which one catches the young girl’s attention. After a brief moment of browsing, Cady’s father walks in and slides a small envelope into his daughter’s lap. Although she was about to experience a magical moment for the first time, Cady excused herself and began reading through the letter of her cousin before writing back.

_Dear Emma,_

_Wow, my parents say that your vocabulary is awesome! And thank you! I did not get cake but I got a bracelet. My mom made it for me. It is the most cool thing I own. My crush even wished me happy birthday, he told me his name is Daniel. My dad told me that he is from something called a peace corpse? I do not know how it is spelled. I will try the flower thing, it will go great I bet! And I will try to do halloween next year but thanksgiving was fun. I can not wait for christmas. Right now, I’m going to be watching TV for the first time! I will try to look for that movie to learn how kids from America do high school!_

_Sincerely,_

_Cady :)_

While writing the letter, Cady’s neighbor occasionally peeked over and noticed the High School Musical movie recommendation in the letter she had received. When the redhead returned, her eyes were attracted to the vibrant colors that appeared on the television screen.The loud cheering that came from the speakers within the television along with a girl with very pretty eyes caught the attention of young Cady who was already entranced by the movie. Her neighbor smiled and admired the view of her young neighbor watching a musical about high schoolers. Cady Heron definitely wouldn’t be moving from her spot any time soon.

* * *

Attempting to amuse herself with the Barbie dolls that were given on Christmas, Emma overhears a door slamming from below. Her hands clench onto the doll that she was holding with, afraid of the abrupt noise that came from downstairs. She looks over at the clock hung above her doorway, her mother must’ve arrived home. Believing that the loud abrupt noises were finished with, Emma continues playing, resuming the story of two of her female dolls and how they were very close friends. Her hands tighten their grip around the legs of the Barbies once again when she hears her mother yelling at her father about something. Feeling the urge to figure out why her mother appeared to be infuriated, Emma walks downstairs. She stops in the middle of the stairwell, peeking through the bars of the stair railing.

According to her mother, earlier in the work day one of her co-workers had someone visit during lunch break. This particular co-worker was very close with Emma’s mother, both of them gossiping throughout the day about random information going on within their lives. When lunch break began, Emma’s mother went downstairs to visit the small food court built within the building. Usually, she would meet with her co-worker at a nearby burger stand and would talk about their day so far. Although she would be typically filled with joy and excitement to see her friend, all she felt was rage and disgust when she noticed her co-worker sharing a kiss with someone of the same sex. The kiss was rather chaste and more like a peck, Emma’s mother turned around on her heel when the coworker noticed her standing there. While she ran off to eat somewhere else, the co-worker sat with her head drooping down while her girlfriend attempted to comfort her. As the day continued, Emma’s mother ignored her friend, refusing to be associated with someone gay. 

Nerves rattled throughout Emma’s body when she noticed her mother going upstairs to the room. She frantically scattered away from the stairwell, rushing herself into the safety of her bedroom. Once the door was shut, the young girl looked at her Barbie dolls that she had been playing with. Feeling ashamed, Emma shoved the dolls away and pushed herself up onto her small twin bed. The conversation shared between her mother and father was something she definitely shouldn't have heard. Especially when Emma was beginning to feel like her mother’s coworker.

_Dear Cady,_

_How did the flowers go? I’m sure he loved it._ Emma hesitates. I _wish I could do the same for girls here._ She erased it. I _asked my dad about the peace corps (its spelled like that haha) and they are like volunteers or something. I’m sorry for writing back late, my mom forgot to give me your letter. I think you wrote it in December and she pushed it aside for a few months. I hope you have been keeping up with my EXTENSIVE vocabulary. Anyway, it’s gonna be summer soon! I will be in middle school and you will be at middle school level, that’s exciting. I’m nervous, there will be so many more kids! And I hope you enjoyed the movie, it's almost like a guide. Hope you are doing well!_

_From,_

_Emma_

* * *

A couple of months passed by and Cady hasn’t received a letter from her cousin in a while. This disappointed the redhead greatly, but at least her studies kept herself motivated. She was tempted to prepare a letter beforehand, just in case her parents were going to deliver a letter any day now, but she never did it. After hiding within Daniel’s tent with a bouquet of flowers that were picked from nearby and being laughed at, Cady’s parents decided to keep their daughter inside their tent for a while. When the redhead came back to their home sobbing, it was probably the best decision at the time. Daniel never returned to the Heron area after the incident and Cady’s neighbor was frequently away. With no letters to write back to, no boys to crush over, and no television to watch, she became lonely. At least Cady always had school by her side to keep her productive. 

While lying down on the air mattress, trying to cool herself down from the Kenya weather, Cady Heron hears the flap of the tent unzip. Feeling extremely hot to move, she decides to keep still while her fan rotates around the tent, somewhat cooling down their area. Cady notices her parents approaching where she is and decides to sit up. When she notices the familiar envelope in her mother’s hand, all of her lost energy slowly returns. Her parents smile at their daughter’s excitement and immediately hand the letter over. She is also met with a small certificate, congratulating Cady for moving onto the middle school level of her school career. Cady slowly began regaining her energy and after reading Emma’s letter, she doesn’t hesitate to write back.

_Emma!_

_I have been waiting for so long to hear back! I miss you. And yes I have been keeping up, I just learned the word derisory! It took me a while to get it down. Also, Daniel didn’t like the flowers, he laughed in my face. That’s okay, remembering girl Gabriella from the high school movie made me feel better, her singing is awesome! I remember her story with that basketball dude, I hope I get a love story like that. The songs were so cool, I can’t believe high school will be like that! Too bad I won’t get to enjoy it. But tell me how it goes. All I know is that I will meet a cute person that I will love and that everything happens in a song. Is it like that over there? I wish high school would come sooner, I really want to know what its like. And yes middle school!!! I can’t wait. I am so excited to learn more. I wish it wasn’t summer though, it is so freaking hot here! The fan only blows hot air around haha. I haven’t seen TV in a bit so give me more stories to watch. Anyway, I hope you are doing well and have a good summer!_

_Love,_

_Cady :)_


End file.
